§28.1Διὰ τί ἔνιοι κάμνουσιν, ὅταν ἐθισθέντες ἀκολάστως ζῆν μὴ ἀκολάστως διαιτῶνται.
Why do some people fall ill when, having been accustomed to living intemperately, they do not lead an intemperate life?
οἷον Διονύσιος ὁ τύραννος, ἐπεὶ ἐν τῇ πολιορκίᾳ ἐπαύσατο πίνων ὀλίγον τινὰ χρόνον, εὐθὺς ἐφθισίασεν, ἕως πάλιν εἰς τὴν μέθην μετέβαλεν.
For example, Dionysius the tyrant, when he stopped drinking for a short time during the siege, immediately fell into consumption, until he changed back to drunkenness.
ἢ μέγα μέν τι καὶ τὸ ἔθος ἐστὶν ἑκάστοις· φύσις γὰρ ἤδη γίνεται.
Or is it because habit also is something great for each; for it already becomes nature.
καθάπερ ἂν ἰχθὺς ἐν ἀέρι ἢ ἄνθρωπος ἐν ὕδατι διατελῶν φαύλως ἂν ἴσχοι, οὕτω καὶ οἱ τὰ ἔθη μεταβάλλοντες χαλεπῶς ἀπαλλάττουσιν, καὶ τὸ πάλιν εἰς τὰ εἰωθότα ἐλθεῖν σωτηρία γίνεται αὐτοῖς ὥσπερ εἰς φύσεως κατάστασιν.
Just as a fish in the air or a human continuing in the water would fare badly, so also those who change their habits get off with difficulty, and returning again to their accustomed ways becomes a salvation for them, as if to a natural state.
ἔτι δὲ καὶ συντηκτικοὶ γίνονται, εἰωθότες τροφῇ χρῆσθαι δαψιλεῖ τῇ ἰδίᾳ· μὴ λαμβάνοντες γὰρ τὴν εἰωθυῖαν ὥσπερ ὅλως μὴ λαμβάνοντες διατίθενται.
Furthermore, they also become prone to wasting away, being accustomed to use their own abundant food; for by not receiving their accustomed food they are affected as if they did not receive any at all.
οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ περιττώματα τροφῇ μεμιγμένα πολλῇ ἀφανίζεται, αὐτὰ δὲ ἐπιπολάζει μόνα ὄντα, καὶ φέρεται εἰς ὄμματα ἢ πνεύμονα· προσενεγκαμένοις δὲ τροφὴν κατακεραννύμενα ὑδαρῆ γίνεται καὶ ἀβλαβῆ.
Moreover, the residues too, when mixed with much food, disappear, but when they are alone they float to the surface and are carried to the eyes or the lungs; but for those who have taken food, they are blended and become watery and harmless.
γίνεται δὲ τοῖς ἀκολάστως ζῶσιν πλείω τὰ περιττώματα ἄχρι τινὸς λήξασι τοῦ εἰωθότος βίου, διὰ τὸ πολλὴν ἀκαταχώριστον ἐν αὐτοῖς ὕλην ὑπάρχειν ἐκ τοῦ προτέρου βίου, ἧς τηκομένης ὑπὸ τοῦ συμφύτου θερμοῦ, καθάπερ χιόνος πολλῆς, ῥεύματα ἁδρὰ συμβαίνει γίνεσθαι.
And for those who live intemperately, the residues become more numerous up to a certain point after they have ceased their accustomed life, because much unassimilated matter from their former life exists in them, which being melted by the innate heat, like a large amount of snow, results in heavy flows.
§28.2Διὰ τί κατὰ δύο μόνας αἰσθήσεις ἀκρατεῖς λέγομεν, οἷον ἁφὴν καὶ γεῦσιν;
Why do we say people are incontinent in respect to two senses only, namely touch and taste?
ἢ διὰ τὰς ἀπὸ τούτων γινομένας ἡδονὰς ἡμῖν καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις ζῴοις;
Is it because of the pleasures arising from these which are common to us and the other animals?
ἅτε οὖν κοιναὶ οὖσαι ἀτιμόταταί εἰσι, διὸ καὶ μάλιστα ἢ μόναι ἐπονείδιστοί εἰσιν.
Since, therefore, they are common, they are the most ignoble, wherefore also they are especially or solely disgraceful.
ὥστε τὸν ὑπὸ τούτων ἡττώμενον ψέγομεν καὶ ἀκρατῆ καὶ ἀκόλαστον εἶναι φαμέν, διὰ τὸ ὑπὸ τῶν χειρίστων ἡδονῶν ἡττᾶσθαι.
So that we blame the one who is defeated by these and say that he is incontinent and intemperate, because of being defeated by the worst pleasures.
§28.3Διὰ τί ἀκρατεῖς λέγονται κατὰ τὰς ἐπιθυμίας μόνον, οὔσης τῆς ἀκρασίας καὶ περὶ τὴν ὀργήν;
Why are people said to be incontinent in respect to desires only, although incontinence exists also in respect to anger?
ἢ ὅτι ἀκρατὴς μέν ἐστιν ὁ παρὰ τὸν λόγον τι πράττων καὶ ἀκρασία ἡ παρὰ τὸν λόγον ἀγωγή, εἰσὶ δὲ αἱ μὲν ἐπιθυμίαι ὡς ἐπίπαν εἰπεῖν παρὰ τὸν λόγον, αἱ δὲ ὀργαὶ μετὰ λόγου, οὐχ ὡς κελεύσαντος τοῦ λόγου, ἀλλ’ ὡς δηλώσαντος τὸν προπηλακισμὸν ἢ τὴν αἰτίαν.
Is it because the incontinent person is one who acts contrary to reason and incontinence is a guidance contrary to reason, and while desires are, generally speaking, contrary to reason, anger is accompanied by reason—not as if reason commanded it, but as showing the insult or the cause?
§28.4Διὰ τί τὴν μὲν ἐγκράτειαν καὶ σωφροσύνην ἐπὶ τῶν νέων καὶ πλουσίων μάλιστα ἐξετάζομεν, τὴν δὲ δικαιοσύνην ἐπὶ τῶν πενήτων;
Why do we examine self-control and temperance especially in the case of the young and the rich, but justice in the case of the poor?
ἢ ὅτι οὗ μάλιστα δεῖταί τις, εἰ τούτου ἀπέχεται, μᾶλλον θαυμάζοιτ’ ἂν ἢ τῶν ἐναντίων;
Is it because if someone abstains from that which he most needs, he would be admired more than those who abstain from the opposites?
ὁ μὲν οὖν πένης εὐπορίας δεῖται, ὁ δὲ νέος καὶ πλούσιος ἀπολαύσεως.
For the poor man needs resources, while the young and the rich man need enjoyment.
§28.5Διὰ τί ἧττον ἀνέχονται διψῶντες ἢ πεινῶντες;
Why do people tolerate thirst less than hunger?
πότερον ὅτι λυπηρότερον;
Is it because it is more painful?
σημεῖον δὲ τοῦ λυπηροτέρου, ὅτι ἥδιον τὸ διψῶντα πιεῖν ἢ πεινῶντα φαγεῖν.
And a sign of its being more painful is that it is more pleasant for a thirsty person to drink than for a hungry person to eat.
τὸ δὲ ἐναντίον τῷ ἡδεῖ λυπηρότερον.
And the opposite of the pleasant is more painful.
ἢ διότι μᾶλλον δεῖται τὸ θερμὸν τοῦ ὑγροῦ ἢ τὸ ξηρὸν ᾧ ζῶμεν;
Or is it because the heat by which we live needs the wet more than the dry needs it?
ἢ ὅτι δυοῖν ἡ δίψα ἐπιθυμία, ποτοῦ καὶ τροφῆς, ἡ δὲ πεῖνα ἑνὸς μόνον, τροφῆς;
Or because thirst is a desire for two things, drink and food, whereas hunger is for one only, food?
§28.6Διὰ τί ἧττον καρτεροῦμεν διψῶντες ἢ πεινῶντες;
Why do we endure less when thirsty than when hungry?
ἢ διότι λυπούμεθα μᾶλλον;
Is it because we suffer more?
σημεῖον δὲ τῆς λύπης ἡ ἡδονὴ σφοδροτέρα.
And the sign of the suffering is the more intense pleasure.
εἶτα ὁ μὲν διψῶν δυοῖν ἐνδεής, τροφῆς καὶ καταψύξεως (ἄμφω γὰρ ἔχει τὸ ποτόν), ὁ δὲ πεινῶν θατέρου μόνον.
Furthermore, the thirsty person is in need of two things, nourishment and cooling (for drink has both), whereas the hungry person is in need of only one of the two.
§28.7Διὰ τί οἱ κατὰ τὴν τῆς ἁφῆς ἢ γεύσεως ἡδονήν, οὗ ἂν ὑπερβάλλωσιν, ἀκρατεῖς λέγονται;
Why are those who exceed in the pleasure of touch or taste said to be incontinent?
οἵ τε γὰρ περὶ τὰ ἀφροδίσια ἀκόλαστοι, οἵ τε περὶ τὰς τῆς τροφῆς ἀπολαύσεις.
For those who are concerned with sexual matters are intemperate, as well as those concerned with the enjoyments of food.
τῶν δὲ κατὰ τὴν τροφὴν ἀπ’ ἐνίων μὲν ἐν τῇ γλώττῃ τὸ ἡδύ, ἀπ’ ἐνίων δὲ ἐν τῷ λάρυγγι, διὸ καὶ Φιλόξενος γεράνου φάρυγγα εὔχετο ἔχειν.
And of the pleasures of food, for some people the pleasantness is in the tongue, while for others it is in the larynx, wherefore also Philoxenus prayed to have the throat of a crane.
οἱ δὲ κατὰ τὴν ὄψιν καὶ τὴν ἀκοὴν οὐκέτι.
But those who are concerned with sight and hearing are no longer called so.
ἢ διὰ τὸ τὰς ἀπὸ τούτων γινομένας ἡδονὰς κοινὰς εἶναι ἡμῖν καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις ζῴοις;
Or is it because the pleasures arising from these are common to us and the other animals?
ἅτε οὖν οὖσαι κοιναὶ ἀτιμόταταί εἰσι καὶ μάλιστα ἢ μόναι ἐπονείδιστοι, ὥστε τὸν ὑπὸ τούτων ἡττώμενον ψέγομεν καὶ ἀκρατῆ καὶ ἀκόλαστον λέγομεν διὰ τὸ ὑπὸ τῶν χειρίστων ἡδονῶν ἡττᾶσθαι.
Since, therefore, they are common, they are the most ignoble and especially or solely disgraceful, so that we blame the one who is defeated by these and call him incontinent and intemperate, because of being defeated by the worst pleasures.
οὐσῶν δὲ τῶν αἰσθήσεων πέντε, τά τε ἄλλα ζῷα ἀπὸ δύο μόνων τῶν προειρημένων ἥδεται, κατὰ δὲ τὰς ἄλλας ἢ ὅλως οὐχ ἥδεται ἢ κατὰ συμβεβηκὸς τοῦτο πάσχει.
And although there are five senses, the other animals take pleasure in only the two aforementioned, while in the others they either do not take pleasure at all or experience this accidentally.
ὁρῶν μὲν γὰρ ὁ ὁρῶν ἢ ὀσφραινόμενος χαίρει ὅτι ἀπολαύει· καὶ ὅταν πληρωθῇ, οὐδὲ τὰ τοιαῦτα ἡδέα αὐτῷ, ὥσπερ οὐδὲ ἡμῖν ἡ τοῦ ταρίχου ὀδμή, ὅταν ἄδην ἔχωμεν τοῦ φαγεῖν.
For the animal that sees or smells rejoices because it is enjoying the benefit; and when it is filled, even such things are no longer pleasant to it, just as the smell of salted fish is not pleasant to us when we have had enough of eating.
ὅταν δὲ ἐνδεεῖς ὦμεν, ἡδέα.
But when we are in need, they are pleasant.
ἡ δὲ τοῦ ῥόδου ἀεὶ ἡδεῖα.
On the other hand, the smell of a rose is always pleasant.
§28.8Διὰ τί ἧττον κατέχουσι τὸν γέλωτα παρόντων τῶν γνωρίμων;
Why do people restrain their laughter less when acquaintances are present?
ἢ ὅταν σφόδρα ἐξηρμένον ᾖ τι, εὐκίνητόν ἐστιν;
Or is it because when something is highly elevated, it is easily moved?
ἡ δ’ εὔνοια εἰπεῖν μᾶλλον γελοῖον, ὥστε κινεῖ.
And friendliness causes one to speak of what is laughable, so that it moves one.